Leprosy, or Hansen's Disease, is one of the oldest infectious diseases known. Leprosy is called a biblical disease because it speaks of the disease in the bible. There are some one million to two million cases of Leprosy world wide. Most reported cases, as determined by World Health Organization (WHO), are from China and India. There are approximately 6500 cases of Leprosy reported in the United States. Most of the reported cases in the US are from Louisiana, Texas, Florida, New York, and California.
Cause of the disease methods of transmission.
Leprosy or Hansen's Disease is caused by a slow-growing bacillus known as Mycobacterium Leprae. In some literature you will also see the bacillus written as M. Leprae. This disease affects the nervous system and skin. How Leprosy is transmitted remains a mystery. Most feel that it is transmitted by frequent contact with respiratory droplets from the nose and mouth of people suffering from a severe case of Leprosy. This being said, you must remember that leprosy is not the contagious disease that we have been lead to believe. Due to the past history and the devastating effect from untreated cases, there has been a myriad of misconceptions and stigmatisms about the disease. It is reported that greater than 95% of people in the US are immune to the disease.
Diagnosis and Treatment for Leprosy
Leprosy/Hansen's Disease is usually diagnosed in the US through a skin biopsy of small lesions. People may have the disease for months up to twenty years before they see any symptoms from the disease. Multi-drug therapies are used for the treatment of Leprosy, specifically with rifampicin and clofazimine. This disease is curable if caught early. Treatment times may vary from a few months to a few years depending upon the person and stage of the disease process when diagnosed. A wonderful treatment center (Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Center) is located in Baton Rogue Louisiana.
Life style changes that may have to be made
Life style changes may need to be made for the person with Leprosy including learning to check fingers, hands, toes, and feet daily. No, the toes and fingers do not fall off, but in severe cases the bone can be reabsorbed causing deformities of these parts of the body. With the disease working on the nervous system, a person may not feel any injuries that they receive to these areas. By taking care and checking daily you can prevent other infections and complications from occurring. There is no isolation of people with Leprosy and they can continue their usually activities. They may be on long term medication to treat the disease and need to take the medications as prescribed. Anemia is one of the problems that may occur and should be watched for.
Even though it is an ancient disease, cases of Leprosy/Hansen's Disease are still present today. The US has a low percentage of the cases but it does occur. With early detection and diagnosis this disease is treatable. This disease can be overcome. People need to be aware that this disease should not hold the stigmatism or the misconceptions that it has had in the past with all the information that is available today.
